Switch actuation recording system



' March 9, 1943. B. cooPER 2,313,626

' swn'cn ACTUATION RECORDING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 21, 1940 DELAYED fitNJAM/N COOPER ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 9, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWITCH ACTUATION RECORDING SYSTEM Benjamin Cooper, Jersey City, N. J.

Application February 21, 1940, Serial No. 320,021

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a switch actuation recording system.

In trafiic counting systems of the single or multiple switch type which record the passage of a vehicle in a lane for the purpose of checking toll collections or for counting traflic or for the like purposes, the switches, be they vehicle wheel actuated, or the magnetic type, or controlled by photo-electric cells, are actuated for relatively short periods of time, usually not longer than it takes for the vehicle to pass the switch. With such counting systems, should the switches become inoperative or should they be actuated or closed for a longer period than it takes for the vehicle to pass the switch, either on account of break down or through the efforts of an operator, a false count would be obtained. Thus, in the case of vehicle wheel actuated treadles which are imbedded in the roadway, such for example, as illustrated in my Patents Nos. 2,165,227 and 2,166,090, an operator might place a weight on the treadle at night and thus collect toll for a number of vehicles passing over the treadle without the count being recorded. In such case, the switch or switches would remain closed for longer than the time required for normal closure of the switch. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a system for recording the closure of a switch longer than a predetermined period of time.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a system of the character described, which will record the time when a switch has been closed or in actuated condition for longer than a predetermined period of time, and also to record the time when the switch is opened or returned to normal.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a system of the character described which willreturn to normal after recording return of the switch to normal position, so that the system will be in condition to again record the closure or actuation of the switch for longer than a predetermined period of time.

Another object of this invention is to provide a highly improved indicating or recording system of the character'described, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, smooth and positive in operation, and y practical and ficient to a high degree,

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part be hereinafter pointed, out.

The invention accordingly consists in features of construction, combination of elements, and

arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the invention hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

The single figure of the drawing is a wiring diagram of a switch actuation indicating system embodying the invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, S designates a switch actuation indicating system embodying the invention to indicate, register, or record the actuation of one or more of the switches I0, Illa, II, Ila, or I2, l2a of a multiswitch treadle A for longer than a predetermined period of time, and to also record the time when one or more of said switches has been in actuated condition for longer than said predetermined time, and also to record the time when said switch or switches resume normal condition.

The multi-switch treadle A may be embedded in a roadway transversely of the direction of vehicular travel thereon so that the wheels of the vehicle will roll across and over the treadle. The top and bottom controls of switches I0, Illa, II, Ila, and I2, I2a are disposed in a rubber casing C' and are biased apart by any suitable resilient means such as the rubber walls W of the casing. The switches are hence normally open but are adapted to close under the weight of vehicles on the road as the wheels thereof contact the treadle. The present system, as will appear hereinafter is to detect surreptitious placing of a weight on the treadle to hold the switches closed for a longer period than it usually takes for wheels to roll over the treadle.

The system or circuit S comprises a slow closing, quick opening time delay relay I3 which must be energized a predetermined length of time prior to its becoming operative, but which when deenergized quickly becomes inoperative.

Relay I3 is provided with a coil I4 connected, as at one end, to the plus power side, as indicated at I5. The other end of the coil I4 is connected through wire II commonly to the switch terminals Illa, Ila, and I211,- as at Ill. The switch terminals Ill, II, and I2 are connected by a common wire to minus power supply.

The circuit S further comprises a normally open switch arm I8, connected as at 20, to the minus power supply. The switch arm I9 is adapted to be moved by relay I3, when the latter is actuated, into engagement with a fixed contact 2|.

Associated with the relay I3 is a second switch arm 22 connected, as at 23, to the minus power supply. Switch arm 22 normally engages a fixed contact 24, but is adapted tobe moved by relay i3, when the latter is actuated, into engagement with a fixed contact 25.

The circuit S further comprises a relay provided with a coil 21, connected at one end to the plus power supply, as at 28. The other end of the coil 21 is connected to a switch arm 29 which normally contacts a fixed contact 30. The switch arm 29 is adapted to be moved by a relay 3|, when the latter is energized, into engagement with a fixed contact 32. Contact is connected by wire 33 to the fixed contact 25, and the fixed contact 32 is connected by wire 34 to the fixed contact 24. Relay 3| is provided with a coil 36, one end of which is connected to the plus power supply, as at 31. The other end of the coil is connected to a fixed contact 40.

Relay 3| is adapted to move a normally open switch arm 4| into engagementwvith the fixed contact 45, when said relay is energized. The switch arm 4| is connected by wire 42 to the fixed contact 2 I.

The circuit S further comprises a recorder or printer, such as a time stamp R. The recorder or printer R comprises a relay provided with a coil 45, one end of which is connected to the plus power supply, as at 41. The other end of the coil is connected by wire 43 to fixed contact 53. Relay 25 is adapted to move a normally open switch arm 5| into engagement with the fixed contact 55. Said switch arm is connected, as at 52, to the minus power supply. The relay 45 is adapted to move a switch arm 53, normally in contact with a fixed contact 54, into engagement with a fixed contact 55, when said relay is energized. Fixed contact 54 is connected to the minus power supply, as at 55. The fixed contact is connected by wire 57 to one side of the coil 35. Switch arm 53 is connected by wire 53 to wire 42.

The operation of the system S will now be described:

Should any of the switches i5, lta, Ha, or i2, |2a close, or all of said switches close suc cessively, for a period of time shorter than the predetermined period of time for which the relay I3 is set, the system S will not operate at all. However, should any of said switches become actuated or closed for a longer period of time, relay I3 will become energized to move switch arm i9 into engagement with contact 2| and to move switch arm 22 out of engagement with the contact 24 and into engagement with the contact 25. This operation closes the circuit for the relay 28 through switch 22, wire 33, witch arm 25 and coil 2'1. Energization of relay 26 causes switch arm 5| to move into engagement with contact 5|), and this operation closes the circuit for the relay 45 to energize the latter and move the switch arm 53 out of engagement with respect to fixed contact 54, and into engagement with fixed contact 55.

Energization of relay 45 causes operation of the time stamp R, thus recording the exact time when any one of the switches in the treadle A has been closed for more than a predetermined period of time. This operation causes relay 3i to become energized through switch arm l9, wire 42, wire 65, switch arm 53, wire 51 and coil 35. Energization of relay 3| causes switch arm 4| to move into engagement with contact 45, and also causes switch arm 29 to move out of engagement with fixed contact 35 and into engagement with fixed contact 32.

The closing of switch arm 4| provides a holding circuit for relay 3| through coil 35, switch arm 4|, wire 42 and switch arm !9. Theenergization of relay 3| deenergizes the relay 25 because the switch arm 29 has moved away from the fixed contact 30. The de-energization of relay 25 opens switch arm 5| and breaks the circuit for the recorder relay 45 permitting switch arm 53 to move out of engagement with fixed contact 55 and into engagement with the fixed contact 54.

When the switch arm 53 moves into engagement with fixed contact 54, an additional holding circuit is created for the relay 3| through switch arm 53, wire 60, switch arm 4| and coil 36.

Now the system is in condition to permit a second recording of time immediately upon opening of the actuated switches in the treadle A. Upon opening up of the actuated switches in the treadle A, the relay |3 immediately becomes de-energized and returns to normal, permitting opening of the switch arm I9, breaking one holding circuit for the relay 3| and permitting the switch arm 22 to move to normal position where it again engages the fixed contact 24, thus completing a circuit through the relay 25, the circuit being from minus power supply through switch 22-24, wire 34, switch 32-29, coil 21 to plus power supply.

It will be noted that the relay 3| remains energized because of the holding circuit through said arms 53 and 4|. Upon energizing relay 25, switch arm 5| again moves into contact with fixed contact 55 to again energize the relay 45 and produce another recording of the time when the actuated switches in treadle A are returned to normal condition.

The energization of relay 45 again moves the switch arm 53 into engagement with the fixed contact 55, thus breaking thesecond holding circuit for the relay 3|. This operation permits the switch arm 4| to open, and the switch arm 29 to move into engagement with the fixed contact 30. Circuit for the relay 26 is then broken at switch 32-49, permitting the switch arm 5| to open, to deenergize the recorder relay 45. System S will then be back to its normal position.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination with a switch, a time delay relay, and a recording instrument having an electromagnet, a circuit for said switch and relay to operate the time delay relay when said switch has been actuated for longer than a predetermined period of time, means to operate the electromagnet when the time delay relay is actuated, to operate said instrument, means to deenergize the electroma'gnet after the latter has been energized, means to de 'energize the time delay relay when said switch returns to normal position, means to operate the electromagnet a second time when said time delay relay returns to normal condition, to again operate said instrument, and means to de-en'ergize the electromagnet after the latter has become energized a second time.

2. In combination, -a switch, a recording instrument having an electromagnet; a circuit interconnecting said switch and said electromagnet, said circuit including a time delay relay, a second relay, a third relay, means to operate said time delay relay upon actuation of said switch for a longer period than a predetermined time interval, means to energize said second relay upon operation of said time delay relay, means controlled by the energized second relay to energize said electromagnet to operate said recording instrument, means controlled by said electromagnet to energize said third relay and to deenergize said second relay, means to hold said third relay energized upon deenergization of said second relay, and means controlled by the energized third relay to energize said second relay a second time upon restoration of said switch to initial condition.

3. In combination, a switch, a recording instrument having an electromagnet, a circuit interconnecting said switch and said electromagnet, said circuit including a time delay relay, a second relay, a third relay, means to operate said time delay relay upon actuation of said switch for a longer period than a predetermined time interval, means to energize said second relay upon operating said time delay relay, means controlled by the energized second relay to energize said electromagnet to operate said recording instrument. means controlled by said electromagnet to energize said third relay and to deenergize said second relay, means to hold said third relay energized upon deenergization of said second relay, means controlled by the energized third relay to energize said second relay a second time upon restoration of said switch to initial condition, and means to deenergize said third relay upon restoration of said switch to initial condition.

BENJAMIN COOPER. 

